MINNESOTA’S LAKE SUPERIOR COASTAL PROGRAM

PROJECT NAME: MUSEUM ARCHIVAL BUILDING

PAT ZANKMAN, COOK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Program Manager

DECEMBER 31, 2007

PROJECT NUMBER: 306A-05-07

CONTRACT NUMBER: A80056

This project was funded in part under the Coastal Zone Management
Act, by NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management,
in cooperation with Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program.
INTRODUCTION.

The Cook County Historical Society was founded in 1924 and moved into it’s
museum, the former Life Saving-Coast Guard Light keeper’s house in 1966.
During this period many people donated items to the Historical Society, despite
the fact the Society has had no adequate means of storing and protecting them.
The Light house Keeper’s House, built in 1996, is on the national registry of
Historic Places. It was not and could not be made handicapped accessible,
except by an addition.

In 2005 the Historical Society applied for a grant through the Lake Superior
Coastal Zone Program to build an addition to the museum that would provide
archival storage on the first level. The second, or main, level would be
handicapped accessible and include a public bathroom as well as access to the
lighthouse keeper’s house first floor. An office was also to be built, adequate in
size and not requiring climbing stairs. The amount requested was $50617 which
would be matched by money and volunteer labor.

WORK COMPLETED

The building has been completed. The office and bathroom have been in use
since October 2007. Since November items have been brought into archival
storage area, a project that will continue for some time. The HVAC unit has been
installed and is in use. A new door has been installed between the museum
kitchen and the walk through that allows handicapped accessibility to the
lighthouse keeper’s house. $625 was granted from the Cook County
Community Fund for the door and installation.

Our volunteer architect, Russell Zenk, improved his original plan for a
handicapped ramp, making it an earthen ramp along the south side of the
building ending into a small ramp and a 10x20 foot deck. The woodwork was
done by the Industrial Arts Department at the high school with a grant of $1,000
for materials from Arrowhead Electric.

One expensive change was made from the original plan. The Lighthouse keeper’s
house has brick on the lower level. The building has been made ready for brick
to be added at a later date. The change to the earthen ramp and the deck which
required much less lumber and ramp required more waterproofing than had
been expected. Our masons had to return for additional work.
All painting and tiling have been done by volunteers. Paint was donated by the
Northland Foundation in the Beautify America program by Valspar. The County
authorized Sentence to Serve Crews to do much work on the sheetrock and
insulation. They also authorized foam insulation on the lower level, a more
expensive but superior alternative.

What was not included in the grant was the “future display area”. A grant has
been received from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation that will complete this
room. The room will be used May 9th by the Minnesota Historical Society for an
area workshop.

RESULTS

The artifacts of the Historical Society will be cared more adequately.

Organization will no longer be the problem, nor will it be necessary to store
items in a multitude of places—none of them archival. Retrieval of items for
research and display purposes has been simplified, and made possible. The
space is sufficiently large that it will serve for many years. Since the addition has
become public knowledge many new items have been given to the museum.

Handicapped individuals will now have access to the Museum, participate in

activities and will be able to do research. The office has been set up to allow
handicapped individuals to do much of their own research.

The heating system is “off peak” electric. The building will be much less
expensive to heat than the Museum itself. Most of the lights in the building are
state of the art for a “green” building. It is also well insulated.

The design of the building was approved by the Minnesota Historical Society as
the Museum is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Our carpenter worked
to match many of the features of the Light House Keeper’s house, beyond what
had been required by the Preservation Office. One example is the hand cut
shingles on the east side.

The building was built by a “committee”. It has come in very close to budget.
We are indebt to many individuals who gave considerable time and expertise.

CONCLUSION

The project was proposed in year one, began in year two, and completed in year
three. The Historical Society board, already older in year one, became much less
able and willing by year three. There were exceptions to this, but this was a
problem for volunteers.

The concept of contracting by committee does not work as well in fact as in

theory. Early on the program manager was required to make most of the
decisions and bring concrete suggestions to the committee. Additions to the
committee by year three made this more workable with others taking more
responsibility and involved in decision making. It became an excellent
experience for some, finding resources they hadn’t used before.

Several of our contractors made an emotional connection with the project, taking
pride in accomplishments and working far beyond what they were paid for.
Without this help we would not have done as well in budget or in completion.

Our county helped considerably in assisting with their personnel in the form of
the maintenance department and the sentence to serve program. They gave us
many many volunteer and salaried hours. They also absorbed certain costs
rather than adding them to our budget. Connecting to the city sewer system, for
example, would have been very expensive due to unforeseen difficulties.

PHOTOGRAPHS

All photographs belong to the Cook County Historical Society and may be used
for any purpose by the Lake Superior Coastal Zone Program or NOAA. The
photographer is Pat Zankman.